Well, here we go again. Another BlogHer conference steeped in drama, with bloggers pitted against each other – this time before the tables have even been set.
Memorial Day morning, I woke up to an email from a lactivist letting me know that this year’s BlogHer ’10 conference is sponsored by Nestle. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I couldn’t believe this was true. I’ve looked at the BlogHer 10 sponsor page on 100 occasions, and never spotted that. So, I asked Google. If this is true, surely people are talking about it, and Google would know. Nope, Google came up empty handed, which is very unlike him.
Then, I began to think this was a rumor. How could this be? BlogHer is so highly aware of their publishers’ boycott of Nestle products, that it created an Opt-Out program to allow boycotters to remove Nestle and other Non-WHO Code compliant brands from the BlogHer ads running on their blogs. That decision came largely as result of the work of one particularly vocal blogger. That blogger was then invited to speak – presumably on these very issues – at the BlogHer 10 conference.
But then, my lactivist friend sent me a link where MomSpark posed the following question: “Stouffer’s Sponsors BlogHer 2010. Will They Be Judged?”
Okay, so it’s true. BlogHer has just quietly revealed that Stouffer’s – owned by Nestle – is now sponsoring a part of the event; along with 32 other brand sponsors that do not have unethical corporate practices.
But Amy at MomSpark wants to know if those of us who boycott Nestle will be backing out of the conference, and if not, then how we justify that decision. She’s specifically asking because she attended the now infamous “Nestle Family” blogger event last fall, where she was criticized by some for participating in the event. Amy has never been a Nestle boycotter, so her decision to go was unencumbered by any moral dilemma. Nestle invited her. She went. They paid for her entire trip, gave her sacks of candy, and she couldn’t have been happier with the experience.
Given that, I don’t totally understand the parallel that some people are drawing between the BlogHer event and the Nestle Family event. Of course, for those who’d prefer to keep smart, green bloggers OUT of the BlogHer event, I can see how drawing some fuzzy line between the two might work to their benefit. In my opinion, I have no control over BlogHer deciding to partner with Nestle months after my ticket was purchased. My attendance of the event was sealed long before they announced this sponsorship. I don’t see how it’s even remotely similar to attending an actual Nestle facility on their dime.
Let me attempt to illustrate the differences I see:
| Nestle Family | BlogHer 2010 | |
| Nestle directly invites Bloggers | Yes | No |
| Nestle is Known to Sponsor This Event At the Time the Bloggers Agree to Go | Yes | No |
| Nestle Pays for Blogger Plane Fare/Travel Expenses | Yes | No |
| Nestle Pays for Blogger’s Hotel Rooms | Yes | No |
| Bloggers Visit Nestle Property | Yes | No |
| Bloggers Lose Money on Plane Fare/Hotel/Private Sponsorship Dollars That Have Already Been Incurred by Deciding Not to Go | No | Yes |
| Bloggers Are Welcomed to Attend the Conference On Behalf of Other Brand Sponsors That Directly (or indirectly) Actively Work Against Nestle Practices | No | Yes |
Given the information here, I don’t see many similarities between a blogger’s decision to attend the Nestle Family event, or the BlogHer 10 event. Even as a boycotter of Nestle, there is no way in the world I can avoid Nestle 100% of the time. It’s simply not possible. I’d never be able to leave the house again.
What if Stouffers was advertising on the side of the CTA busses – should I stop taking public transportation? What if I was taking that bus to a rally against Nestle – am I still a hypocrite? In my mind, one has nothing to do with the other.
Some of us have chosen to take the high road here and keep our commitments, regardless of the brands that BlogHer chooses to take their money from. I think it’s up to BlogHer to reconcile the choices they’ve made.
I, for one, believe on impacting change from the inside, rather than the outside. Some people consider me a hypocrite for trying to become an attorney in such a patriarchal system, but I’m the type of person who likes to storm the castle. I will go inside The Matrix. I will infiltrate The System and let my presence show that responsible voices have just as much place at this event as those without any moral dilemmas.
The fact of the matter is, Nestle wouldn’t care one bit if I chose not to attend BlogHer ’10. But I can think of two very legitimate and worthwhile brands that WOULD care, and I’m not letting them down. Instead, I will be there, with bells on. The Man is not going to shut me out of a conference that could amplify my voice and spread awareness for my cause. Allowing them to keep voices like mine out of the party is, to me, totally counterproductive.
This is the world we’re living in, and if we want to change it, we have to start from the inside out. Some people will insist that I’m putting my desire to attend BlogHer ahead of my distaste for Nestle, and to those people I say -
Nestle is contributing a few dollars to helping outspoken, intelligent, and influential women come together to amplify their message, be change agents, and ultimately undermine everything Nestle stands for. The Joke is On Nestle – not on me.
And I think that’s just about all I have to say about that.
I think the situation us Nestle event attendees faced and the one facing boycotters attending a Nestle-sponsored BlogHer are two very different situations. Even after looking at your chart, one thing is missing. The boycott. We never boycotted or protested Nestle, so what difference does it make that our flight was paid for or that we knew we were going to Nestle?
I understand your concerns and worries, honestly, I do. You have already committed to going to BlogHer and have invested money. BlogHer is an awesome conference for bloggers. It rocks. I understand why you want to be there.
Like I told Annie, it is actually refreshing to see that the boycott isn't taking over every aspect of a boycotter's life. (although I do know there are some boycotters who are choosing to stay home now) Saying that, I think the part that can be damaging is what your (and other Nestle boycotter) followers think, especially if the boycotter was very active last September during the Nestle event.
My post was not intended to discourage a Nestle boycotter from going to the conference, but to instead bring up the point and debate from there. This discussions has been very interesting and has showed me a different side to a few (not all) that opposed my decision to attend the Nestle event last year. I'm seeing real people with real emotions making really tough decisions. I think it would take a lot of guts to change one's mind about going to BlogHer at this point, and I respect those Nestle boycotters who have chosen to do so. Not easy and truly shows their convictions.
I think no matter how you dissect the reasons for going to an event that is paid in part by a company that you are so passionately against, it will never add up. Yes, the sponsor was added late in the game, but there is still nine weeks until the event. Yes, it sucks to back out, both financially and emotionally, but I can't imagine it not leaving a bad taste in your mouth. (if you do feel that passionately about Nestle)
.-= Amy´s last blog ..e.l.f. Makeup Party + Giveaway =-.
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